A/N: Thank you all for your patience and support as this story continues. This will be a short chapter but fear not as there is much more to come!
First off, yes, it is 'whisky.' That is not a spelling error.
For those of you disappointed regarding the lack of smut in this story, I apologise.
I do not write smut. Please don't misunderstand that as some moral trepidation against it. When it's well done, it's quite lovely. I do not wish to ruin a fic with my clumsy attempts at writing it.
I guarantee none of you want to suffer through a story about some bloke with a right stauner.
Thankfully, with the help of another writer, we've found a solution! Lady_Lore reached out after the last chapter and has graciously offered to write some collaborative accompanying stories to satisfy that thirst.
Be on the lookout for her story The Complication—Missing Scenes.
Data and Geordi were in Main Engineering. The side of Data's cranial unit was open, a long cable extended out and into Geordi's diagnostic scanner.
"I believe the word 'tart' would be an apt description," Data said.
"And this is the first time?" Geordi asked. "What made you want to try it?"
One Day Earlier
Data was painting a still life in his quarters with a replicated bowl of fruit. He wasn't sure what it was, but a strong urge compelled him to bite into one of the cherries in the bowl. To Data's delight, he could taste the flavour.
Truly taste the flavour.
Although the sensory receptors in Data's mouth allowed him to analyse the chemical makeup of food and beverages, he had never previously enjoyed the sensation of tasting flavour in this manner.
From the moment Data bit into the cherry, he was overwhelmed with ecstasy. He closed his eyes and relished the tart, yet sweet, juicy feel of it on his tongue.
Data had decided it would be best to tell Geordi straightaway. For weeks they had tried to find the root cause of Data's sudden emotional development. It was like android puberty—Data's body had exploded with a whole new sense of perception.
Present
"What made you want to try it?" Geordi repeated.
"Curiosity. To be precise, this was the third instance," Data shared.
"Ok, what was the first?" Geordi said as he ran his tricorder over Data's head.
Data hesitated. It had been the night before when Data first experienced his newfound ability.
One Day Earlier
Data was in Tasha's quarters. It had been a long day in preparation for the next mission. Data and Tasha were snuggled down on the sofa together. Tasha read to Data as she sipped on a glass of synthesised whisky.
Tasha had tipped her head back to take a drink. She offered the glass to Data, but he declined. Tasha shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
Tasha returned the glass to the ledge of her window and leaned in to kiss Data. Their kiss was languid. Easy. In the weeks since initiating their relationship, Data found that little spots of intimacy came naturally between them.
They were consummate professionals while on duty. But after hours, it was all soft looks, a gentle hand on the leg or draped across the other's body, and sweet, lingering kisses.
Yet, as he kissed Tasha, Data detected something unusual. Something new.
It took Data 0.0024 seconds to realise his sensors were not overloading. Although he could decipher the chemical makeup of the whisky, there was more—he could taste the peaty, smoky flavour of the drink on her lips.
Data broke the kiss, took the glass, and downed it in one gulp.
He coughed and shuddered as it burned his throat. But Data didn't care, every moment of the experience felt wonderful.
Tasha sat back blinking in stunned silence as she watched him.
"Everything OK?" she asked.
"Better than OK," Data replied with excitement.
He set the empty glass back on the sill and pulled Tasha in for another kiss. This time, his kiss was hungry.
Data broke from her lips, trailing his mouth down along the line of Tasha's jaw. He nipped at the pulse point on her neck.
"I can taste you," he growled.
Data's breath was hot against Tasha's ear.
"What?" Tasha managed to get between the kisses he peppered along her body.
"I can taste you," Data repeated.
Present
"Data?" Geordi prompted, drawing Data's attention back to the present.
"Yes, Geordi?" Data asked as he cocked his head to the side.
"I was asking what was the first time you experienced this?" Geordi repeated. "Maybe we can isolate what is causing it?"
Data paused before responding.
"I'd rather not disclose that," Data said.
Geordi sighed and put his hands on his hips.
"Okay, what about the second time?"
Data shook his head and Geordi got the hint.
After he'd seen them in Ten Forward, Geordi had casually asked Data how things were going with Tasha. Data had replied that they were in a relationship and had a desire to keep it private. He requested Geordi not discuss the matter again.
Geordi had smiled and assured Data he understood.
Whatever makes you happy, my friend.
"I can't find anything that seems to be out of order," Geordi said as he placed his tricorder back into its holster.
Data was in complete agreement with Geordi's assessment.
"My internal scans show that I am functioning within normal parameters."
Geordi replaced the panel he had removed from the side of Data's head to access his positronic matrix.
"As much pleasure as I have found in experiencing these new sensations, a part of me remains bothered by the mystery of their sudden onset," Data noted aloud.
"Then I'd say enjoy it," Geordi said as he slapped Data on the back.
Tasha was waiting in the transporter room with Captain Picard and Commander Riker. She was wearing her dress uniform in preparation for meeting the Selay delegates. The Enterprise was scheduled to transport them to the planet called Parliament where they would discuss a possible truce with their rivals, the Antican people, in hopes of joining the Federation.
Tasha had done extensive research on both parties and learned they had quite a long history of rivalry. As a precaution, she had helped Commander Riker in setting up regular security patrols for their visit and they placed both delegations on separate decks to give each group some space.
Upon their arrival, the Selay quickly made clear their displeasure for the Anticans. Tasha didn't need Deanna's empath skills to sense this was going to be a long trip.
Ssetar, the leader of the Selay delegation, was certainly not afraid to speak his mind. Tasha suspected he couldn't really smell the Antican delegation. From what she had read, both races thought themselves superior to one another and would frequently and freely insult the other at every opportunity.
The Selay were frustrated that the Anticans had been taken aboard first and found the accommodations were not to their liking.
Tasha was grateful Commander Riker would have to see to rearranging that.
Tasha and Captain Picard exchanged a wry smirk.
"Neither seem like very promising Federation candidates, sir," Tasha said with a sigh as soon as the Selay delegation had left the room.
"Even Parliament's peacemakers may find this case a little difficult," Picard concurred.
Upon leaving the primary Transporter Room, Tasha headed back to her quarters to change into her regular uniform.
Stepping onto the turbolift, she found herself face to face with Data and smiled.
"You look very appealing in your dress uniform," he said out of the corner of his mouth.
It was a risk, but one Data thought worth taking.
"Computer, halt," Tasha ordered.
The lift ground to a halt. Data looked down at Tasha, concerned.
"I am sorry, I did not mean to be unprofessional while on duty," he apologised.
"Do you really think I look… appealing?" Tasha teased.
Her cheeks grew warm as Data ran his eyes over her body.
"Very much so," Data said in earnest.
Tasha grinned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
Data brought his hand up to touch where she had kissed him. He looked pleasantly surprised.
"Computer, resume," Tasha ordered, and the lift began to hum along once again.
They said nothing more to each other on the ride. Tasha glanced his way before stepping off at the deck where her quarters were located, and Data acknowledged it with a short nod.
They stuck to their promise to keep things professional while on duty. Their roles as Chief Security Officer and Second Officer had to come first. Their blossoming relationship was still largely an affair kept behind the doors of their quarters.
The pair did occasionally go to Ten Forward for an evening but were otherwise cautious about any public displays of affection—even if the sight of Tasha all dressed up to the nines was enough to make Data's duranium knees weak.
Deanna and Beverly had been more than curious during their weekly girls' night. But Tasha remained coy about the details of her android partner.
She was a private person. Tasha felt no shame in her relationship with Data, but she also wasn't comfortable about spilling the details to her friends just yet.
Perhaps there would come a day, but Tasha knew that would be some time down the road.
Later that day, Tasha found Data in his quarters at his workstation. It had been a long day. Worf had suffered some kind of medical emergency and had spent most of the day in Sickbay. According to Geordi, some kind of an electrical charge had shocked Worf's body.
Data was pouring over maintenance reports from the last six months of service for any clues. Something was impacting the Enterprise. Earlier in the day, Data had observed Doctor Crusher looking at helm control functions on Science Station #2 on the Bridge for no explicable reason.
After Beverly's use of the computer, it became inoperable.
Captain Picard asked Data to investigate the issue, but Data was struggling to identify the problem. Data was certain there was something happening aboard that was causing these issues and that it was not any preexisting system error—the Enterprise never would have left space dock if there were this many technical problems.
Data's first thought had been the strange energy surges they had recently experienced, but he quickly ruled out the possibility as there was no trace of the energy signature they had previously encountered. Data could confidently say that energy phenomena had been relegated to the proximity of the planet they were studying at the time.
The Enterprise was nowhere near that system now.
Tasha took a seat in front of Data workstation and stretched out. Data noted that she looked more tired than usual.
"Long day?"
"We found two of the Anticans lingering around the Selay delegation quarters. They were armed. It's like they can't even play nice for a few hours!" Tasha fumed.
"I have calculated an 88.4% chance that Parliament will fail to reach peace between the two delegations. It is highly unlikely they will be admitted to the Federation at this time," Data advised as he set down his PADD.
"I've got patrols pulling double duty to monitor them—but they're awfully sneaky," Tasha said, rubbing her temples.
"Would you like me to get something for you?" Data offered, noting that Tasha would likely feel better if she consumed food or a hot Raktajino.
"No, I'm gonna grab some dinner in the canteen with Worf. He had some kind of accident earlier. Completely blacked out," Tasha said, worried. "Doctor Crusher released him a little bit ago. I want to be sure he's alright and catch up on what happened."
"Of course," Data replied.
The beauty of their relationship was that they still maintained their separate lives. Data had his holodeck adventures with Geordi and Chief O'Brien and his weekly chess games with Captain Picard. Tasha spent her afternoons hitting the fitness centre with Worf and had her own weekly engagement with Beverly and Deanna.
"Do you want to come? Or would you like me to bring anything back?" Tasha asked.
Though he did not need to eat, Data did take a nutritional supplement. Data didn't usually eat when he was with his friends, but he did like to be invited. He considered it an essential part of the human experience.
"No. I am quite alright," Data answered.
Tasha watched with fascination as Data grabbed a short tumbler from his workstation and brought it to his lips.
"Data, are you drinking?" Tasha asked as she recalled him sipping the whisky in her quarters the other evening.
"Yes!" he replied enthusiastically.
She gestured wordlessly, prompting Data for an explanation.
"It would seem, my dear, that I can taste. Well, I can taste more than just you," Data said with a smirk.
Tasha was stunned. She knew how much it meant to him to be able to experience sensations. As excited as she was knowing this was a huge leap forward for him, she also felt a little unsure.
Data was gaining new emotional and sensational awareness at an increasing pace in a relatively short amount of time.
"Honey, that's amazing," she replied.
"Geordi and I are still trying to determine what has caused these changes," Data said, suspecting that Tasha shared his concern for the sudden shift.
"Okay, well how does it feel?"
"Indescribably excellent," Data confessed, licking his lips.
Tasha scrambled up from her seat and gave Data a quick peck on the lips. She beamed with glee at how happy Data was in that moment.
"When you are finished would you mind returning to my quarters?" Data asked as he stood up and made his way out into the main living part of his quarters.
"Sure," Tasha said.
Data reached for Tasha's hand.
"I was wondering if you would like to stay the night? Here. With me?"
"Okay," she agreed, slightly suspicious of what he was planning.
"Then I shall see you then," Data said before kissing her forehead.
Worf and Tasha were in the canteen, hunched over a table as Worf described his strange medical emergency from earlier in the day.
"It was as if there was someone else inside my mind," Worf said seriously.
Tasha could see Worf was uncomfortable. The encounter with the electric current left Worf disturbed. He had blacked out only to regain consciousness in Sickbay.
Worf stabbed at his Zilm'kach and brought a bite of the fruit to his mouth. Aside from Commander Riker and Geordi, Tasha was the only person that was willing to eat with Worf when he was on one of his Klingon protein kicks.
Tasha didn't squick at the sight of gagh.
Worf knew his Klingon dietary preferences were displeasing to most of the crew. Yet, for all his 'lone warrior' mystique, he truly did enjoy their company. He'd been grateful when Tasha stopped by Sickbay to ask him to dinner. Of all the members of the Enterprise, she was his closest friend.
"Doctor Crusher and Counsellor Troi believe whatever it was is now gone," Worf explained. "But I feel great displeasure in not knowing what occurred."
Tasha nodded.
"I would too," she said in agreement as she took a sip of her tea.
"I was told there was trouble between the delegations," Worf said.
Tasha rolled her eyes.
"That's an understatement. They're downright awful guests."
"I apologise that I was unable to assist earlier."
Although he sounded emotionless, Tasha knew that Worf took great pride in his work. Anytime he missed out on the action, he took it to heart—as if he had failed.
"It's alright, Worf," Tasha reassured him. "Believe me, I doubt that's gonna be the last time these two butt heads on the trip."
Worf laughed, a full, rousing Klingon belly laugh.
"Then perhaps we will have the opportunity to dance with our visitors?" he quipped.
After dinner, Tasha had returned to her quarters and grabbed the gym bag she used for Parrises squares. She threw in her dressing gown and pyjamas, her toothbrush and comb, a clean uniform, socks for the next day, and her tablet.
After a small internal debate, Tasha decided to throw in her shower supplies too. She knew Data had a fully functioning lavvy in his quarters—and an oversized tub. It was a rare luxury on a starship and miles better than Tasha's cramped shower.
She suspected that with everything going on between the Selay and Antican delegations, Data felt that it would grant him some peace of mind to have her sleep in his quarters.
Data had no bed. He had no need to sleep. Though there was a bedroom, Data used the space for his painting supplies. Tasha didn't mind sleeping on Data's sofa—she had done so twice before.
It wasn't the comfiest of sleeping places, but she knew Data needed his workstation. It wasn't practical for him to be down in her quarters tonight.
Making her way to his quarters, Tasha was thankful that she'd used her Parrises squares bag. She'd run into more than a few crew members. Thanks to the bag, it looked as if she were just off to the holodeck for a late-night workout.
When Tasha reached Data's quarters, she tapped the door to signal her arrival.
The door slid open, and Tasha was shocked to find Data out of uniform. He was wearing a pair of black pyjama trousers—and nothing else.
"Ah! A deception," Data said, spying the bag she carried.
"Yeah, something like that," she replied absentmindedly.
Tasha was having a difficult time tearing her eyes away from Data's bare chest. With his sculpted, synthetic musculature and pale bioplast, Data looked akin to a Greek statue.
"Uh… do you mind if I shower here?" Tasha asked.
"Not at all," Data answered.
Tasha thanked him and set her bag down on his sofa. She unzipped it and began to pull out the contents she would need.
As she reached for her shampoo, Data grabbed Tasha's wrist to stop her.
He said nothing, guiding Tasha toward the unused part of his quarters. Technically, it was a bedroom. But Data used it for storage and crafting.
"I have something I wish to show you. A surprise," Data announced.
He tapped the console control and the door slid open to reveal a complete transformation.
Tasha gasped. All of Data's paintings, his various easels, instruments, and more were gone. Data had rehoused them elsewhere in his quarters and down in the lab. In their place, Data had installed a proper bed—big enough for two—along with nightstands and a lamp.
"I realise that this is probably preferable to my sofa," Data said as he gestured to the bed.
He walked over to the built-in cabinets along the wall and opened the closet.
"I recognise the desire to keep our relationship private makes it impractical to haul personal belongings back and forth between our quarters. So, I have moved my clothing to the adjacent wardrobe. You may use this space to store things here if you wish," Data explained.
Data was so considerate. Tasha couldn't help but smile.
"I have very little personal clothing, so it is no inconvenience," Data added as he was unsure how Tasha would respond.
She had been silent since they entered the bedroom.
Tasha threw her arms around Data.
"Thank you," she said.
Data was extremely pleased with himself—and that made Tasha ecstatic.
Data turned Tasha around and started to rub her shoulders, kneading gently at the knots caused by the rival delegations. She sighed, content as the tension from the day began to fall away courtesy of Data's skilled hands.
"I'll be working on these reports for a while yet, but I have placed a canister of bath salts to ease muscle tension on the edge of the tub. When you are ready to sleep, please let me know," Data whispered into her ear.
Tasha turned, resting her hands on Data's chest. She brushed a quick kiss against Data's lips.
"What did I ever do to deserve you?" she asked.